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DRAG certainly seems like a promising upcoming racing game

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With very pretty graphics and a slick looking vehicle, DRAG is one of the titles you can currently try a demo of during the Steam Game Festival.

From the indie team of two brothers at Orontes Games, DRAG is not your usual simple arcade racer. Using 'deep and challenging driving dynamics', like their 4CPT-technology (4-way contact point traction technology) and every component of the vehicles being simulated (including damage!) it all sounds very promising.

Coming with one single and very short challenge level, it's a small slice of what to expect but it's already quite telling. Graphically pretty, works well on Linux and as with most racing games I'm absolutely awful at it but I can crash around in style.

It's pretty brutal too. Getting to grips with the handling model is a surprising challenge by itself and when the full game is out with online play they're going with a 'out-is-out principle', so there will be no re-spawning and you can drive as dirty as you like and really screw with your opponents.

Here's a quick look at the demo challenge:

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Keeping in mind it's obviously not finished, they probably have plenty of tweaks to the physics and driving model to come but it's a lot of fun to try and blast through the little challenge there.

During the Steam Game Festival, they are also running a competition. If you manage to score one of the top 10 times, you will win a full copy of DRAG. It's not going to take you much to beat me that's for sure. A lot of fun to try though.

Try the DRAG demo free on Steam until June 22.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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tho Jun 18, 2020
it won't run on intel hd 620 :(
pskosinski Jun 18, 2020
Was anyone playing it using keyboard? Is it normal that when I press left arrow for a second completely nothing happens and then wheels start to rotate? It's not reflex but strategy game?
mihaib Jun 18, 2020
My best run was 28. something I forgot, I actually played it yesterday and it is very nice. I am top 16 overall and I think I can improve dough I am going to play other games since it is fully released.

I think it is normal for such a car to be a bit more slippery especially on gravel, but no mater how much throttle I use it is very hard to make the car oversteer. Overall very nice game tbh.

What I don't like is actually heating a barrier(especially being open wheel) it like nothing happens to the car, I would expect some tire damage, or bending a wheel or something.

Based on this demo I think I will buy this game if it will work on linux and online races are smooth.
14 Jun 20, 2020
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If I can play this with my friends and there is enough content, I will pick it up at release. The graphics look nice and so does the car movement. We had fun with Dirt 4 for a while, but it felt like we ran out of gameplay and car variations to play. Dirt 4 doesn't let you choose any car class and let you race any course. You are locked in to certain courses depending on what car class you choose. What gives! It's a video game. Let me drive whatever course I want.
Eike Jun 20, 2020
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Quoting: DuncOh, yes. First impressions are everything I hoped they'd be. I love the quick, “just one more go” old-school arcade feel to it. And I'm amazed how well it runs on my no-longer-cutting-edge rig. Handling is slightly strange, I'll agree. But it may just be the car.

So come on then... times. Anyone manage a sub-30s run yet? I did a 30.4 and it nearly killed me.

I'm not a racer and fought hard to at least get under 32, but I also had this feeling of “just one more go”. :)
Cestus Jun 20, 2020
Demo works perfect but the handling is Sh#t!!!! drives like a 10.000hp soap car from asseto corsa.
I'm glad i tested the demo because i really wanted to buy the game. Now i won't.
x_wing Jun 20, 2020
Quoting: CestusDemo works perfect but the handling is Sh#t!!!! drives like a 10.000hp soap car from asseto corsa.
I'm glad i tested the demo because i really wanted to buy the game. Now i won't.

You have to practice. The game seems to not have any driving assistance (out of the acceleration control) so a minimum error is catastrophic. Be gentle with the throttle, use the brake and search for the path where your wheels never loose grip (i.e. avoid loosing wheel contact with the floor as much as you can).
Eike Jun 20, 2020
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Quoting: x_wingYou have to practice. The game seems to not have any driving assistance (out of the acceleration control) so a minimum error is catastrophic. Be gentle with the throttle, use the brake and search for the path where your wheels never loose grip (i.e. avoid loosing wheel contact with the floor as much as you can).

Beginner's question: Do you do full throttle from the start?
tuubi Jun 20, 2020
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Quoting: Eike
Quoting: x_wingYou have to practice. The game seems to not have any driving assistance (out of the acceleration control) so a minimum error is catastrophic. Be gentle with the throttle, use the brake and search for the path where your wheels never loose grip (i.e. avoid loosing wheel contact with the floor as much as you can).

Beginner's question: Do you do full throttle from the start?
You get a flying start, I don't see why not. The second corner is where it gets tricky. And then it's all about managing your line. The next time I properly floor it is after my car is safely on the metal grid of the banked turn and pointing in the right direction.

BTW: I finally realised that I can actually switch to a better camera angle (using the back button) and this definitely helps me get a feel for the car. I can pretty consistently hit times between 29.200 and 29.400 now, but I think that's about my limit with the gamepad.

EDIT: Oh and at this point I'm pretty sure this game will be high on my wishlist when it goes final.


Last edited by tuubi on 20 June 2020 at 5:25 pm UTC
x_wing Jun 21, 2020
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: x_wingYou have to practice. The game seems to not have any driving assistance (out of the acceleration control) so a minimum error is catastrophic. Be gentle with the throttle, use the brake and search for the path where your wheels never loose grip (i.e. avoid loosing wheel contact with the floor as much as you can).

Beginner's question: Do you do full throttle from the start?

Yes, full throttle even in the first corner with the metal grid. In the second corner you have to brake a lot and use a little bit of handbrake in order to point the car as nearest as possible to the edge of the turn (fall short, you will crash the guardrail/have to brake a bit more, fall long you hit the sloop and lose traction and you're done). The same can be said for the third turn (I use more handbrake here, but I'm not sure if the best strategy) and in the last curve you have to be very careful with the part of the grass you travel and you must brake and point the car in the right direction. Using the throttle in the right moment is key.

For a demo with four turns and 28-29s of gameplay I think this has become way too addictive XD

29.465 btw, I think that's almost limit with keyboard.


Last edited by x_wing on 21 June 2020 at 5:15 pm UTC
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